Why Use Our Services

How to do business with China

“I can just order whatever I want through Chinese online platforms. Why should I pay someone for something I can do myself in a few minutes?”

We understand you.

Some dominant platforms have indeed opened up new possibilities for anyone looking for cost-effective goods from China — the vast majority of manufacturers offer their products through this channel.

It is also true that many people have ordered goods this way and everything went smoothly. We’re not claiming that this won’t happen to you, but the number of cases where customers received incorrect, damaged, or missing goods is frequent enough that we cannot ignore it entirely.

Claims

In the event that the declared goods do not arrive or arrive damaged, you can try to file a complaint.

This means, first and foremost, communicating the issue with the manufacturer and hoping that they will acknowledge the mistake and be willing to engage with you. If they are unwilling to communicate, there is little chance for resolution, and realistically, you have no one else to turn to.

If they do communicate, you can only hope that the manufacturer will admit their fault. If you do manage to agree with the manufacturer, you will face significant time delays and possible financial costs if the goods need to be returned. You’ll discover that by the time you were planning to use or sell the goods, you’re still dealing with a complaint, with an uncertain outcome. Essentially, you’ll be losing both financially and in terms of time.

What are the advantages of using our intermediary services?

The first major advantage is our local presence in China. It’s always easier when we can speak with the manufacturer in their native language. This eliminates language barriers and potential cases of “lost in translation.” From our experience, Chinese manufacturers are also more open when contacted by our local collaborator, and they are more likely to provide additional information and potential discounts.

Thanks to this advantage, we can quickly contact the manufacturer directly and gather all the necessary information about the manufacturer and the goods in a short time. Communication becomes faster and more efficient.

Another advantage is the option for goods inspection. We offer this service to our clients once production is completed and the goods are ready for packaging and shipment. This service involves a personal visit and inspection of the goods at the production site. You can order a minimum service such as photo and video documentation, which we will send to you for approval. If you provide us with more detailed instructions on the inspection process, we will be happy to carry it out, whether it’s spot-checking the goods, verifying the quantity, or other tasks. Only after approval of the video/photo documentation do we give the go-ahead for packing and shipping. During the packing and loading process, our colleague will remain on-site to supervise the loading to ensure that only the inspected goods are loaded for transport. The container will then be sealed to ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with during transit.

„Why did you quote shipping as twice the price the Chinese manufacturer offered me? I thought shipping is billed 1:1 as the freight carrier quotes. Why is it so much more expensive? The manufacturer claims that the goods will arrive in Košice for that price.”

Yes, sometimes we may offer a higher shipping cost than the manufacturer in China. But.

99.99% of these cases unfortunately end with the moment the goods arrive at a European port, and you get a call from a shipping company employee. They will tell you that you’ve only paid for shipping to the port, and unless you pay the remaining charges, your goods will be held at the port. Naturally, this will incur daily fees.

 At this point, you can try to explain that the manufacturer repeatedly assured you that the shipping was to Slovakia. We have yet to encounter a case where this has been helpful.

 You’ll try contacting the manufacturer, but communication will start to stall, the manufacturer will avoid or make excuses, or stop responding altogether.

The only thing that will help in this situation is paying the fees presented and arranging additional shipping. We are confident that by this point, you’ll have paid more for shipping than our original quote.

These situations can arise for several reasons. However, from our experience, the most common one is that the manufacturer simply lacks experience with importing goods to Slovakia and doesn’t know whether the shipping costs quoted on large Chinese online platforms cover shipping to Slovakia. Typically, these quotes cover shipping only to the first port.

Either way, the rule is – if the manufacturer declares that the shipping cost is two or three times cheaper than what freight companies can offer, be cautious.

As we mentioned – purchases from platforms can go smoothly and without issue.

However, there’s a chance that what seemed like an easy and cheap purchase will turn into a financial and time burden that you’ll be dealing with for months. Especially for larger orders, we recommend the assistance of someone experienced in trading with China.

If you contact us for a free quote or use our services, you can be assured that:

– We will find and verify the manufacturer, their history with trading and shipping goods to the EU

– We will handle all communication and interact with the manufacturer in their native language, checking everything that concerns you

– We will determine the exact delivery conditions

– If requested, we will personally inspect the goods

– We will ensure all actions are taken so your goods arrive at your doorstep

You can learn more about the challenges and specifics of trading with China and the advantages of our services during a personal meeting or through a video call with our consultant.